Misdiagnosed for Years: Gary Rind’s Journey from Type 2 to Type 1 Diabetes

For Gary, the path to a proper type 1 diabetes diagnosis took three years, with a lot of pain and frustration along the way.

“Lose weight and it’ll go away.”

When Gary was 40, he was about 60 pounds heavier than he is today. He went to his primary care doctor for a routine physical, and his blood sugar came back at 267 mg/dL.

The doctor’s diagnosis? Type 2 diabetes. The treatment plan? Just lose weight, and it will go away.

“That sounded reasonable to me at the time because I knew I needed to lose weight,” Gary said. “What I knew about diabetes at the time could fit on the head of a pin.”

There was a diabetes specialist in the practice, but Gary wasn’t referred to them. And like many newly diagnosed adults, he didn’t question it.

“I’ve always been terrified of needles,” he recalled. “My biggest fear was needing to take injections one day.”

“Nothing was changing.”

Over the next few years, Gary followed the advice to lose weight. He lost 40 pounds in nine months — just in time for a Thanksgiving visit to his Italian mom in New York, where cheesecake and pasta were plentiful. His family was stunned by how much weight he had lost.

“I thought the weight loss would help with the diabetes,” said Gary.

But his blood sugars weren’t improving. He started experiencing strange sensations in his feet and vision changes — both signs of diabetes-related complications. His doctor prescribed Glucophage (metformin) and Avandia, and had him coming in monthly for blood sugar checks.

“I don’t remember him ever telling me my A1C,” Gary said. “I just remember that my blood sugars weren’t getting better.”

The hemoglobin A1C test is a simple blood test that shows your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. Instead of looking at just one moment (like a finger prick), it gives a bigger picture of how your blood sugar has been doing over time.

Eventually, the doctor warned Gary that if things didn’t improve, he’d need to start insulin. “I said, ‘No way.’ I’m not taking insulin just because this quack says so.”

A second opinion — and a real diagnosis

That’s when Gary took matters into his own hands. He found a new endocrinologist, but was told he needed a referral and medical records to get an appointment. His primary care doctor sent 20 pages of notes, and Gary finally got in.

December 12, 2003. Gary remembers that day well.

“I had cereal that morning before the appointment,” he said. “They tested my blood sugar, and it was so high they couldn’t even measure it, because it was over 400 mg/dL.”

Four endocrinologists came into the exam room. “That’s when I realized I was in deep trouble.” His A1C was 12.4%, and he was immediately started on insulin: Lantus and Novolog. He was finally diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

“Take your shots or die. Figure it out.”

Gary still gets emotional when he talks about overcoming his fear of injections. “You’ve got two choices: take your shots or die. Figure it out.”

He found that injecting insulin into his stomach was easiest due to fewer nerve endings. But finger pricks were harder than injections, so he pricked his palms to avoid his fingertips.

When his parents asked him to watch him inject insulin at Christmas, his mother quickly said, “Can you go do that in another room?” 

That moment really upset Gary, but he didn’t let it slow him down. “I decided I was going to eat whatever I wanted that Christmas. I told my family that if my blood sugar goes high, you might see me fall asleep — but I’ll figure it out.”

From pain to persistence

The transition to insulin therapy wasn’t easy. Gary experienced neuropathy in his feet and was prescribed gabapentin. “I hated it — it made me feel stoned and it didn’t fix the problem.”

Instead, he turned to alpha-lipoic acid, a supplement he’d heard about for nerve pain. “The pain was gone in a week. It was amazing.”

His endocrinologist didn’t like the idea of using supplements, but Gary stuck with what worked for him.

He worked hard to improve his blood sugar levels, despite frequent highs and severe symptoms of low blood sugar, even at 83 mg/dL. He made key lifestyle changes, like switching from regular soda to diet — a tough switch at first, but one he knew was necessary.

No pump. No problem.

Three months after starting insulin, Gary went back to his endo.

His A1C was 7.0% — exactly the goal they’d set. “I said, ‘If I can get to 7.0%, then I don’t need a pump.’ And I’ve never used one since.”

He does use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and says the Libre 3 has been life-changing. “I love the CGM. It’s fantastic.”

Today, Gary continues to see the same endocrinologist, and his most recent A1C was an impressive 5.2%. He’s maintained an A1C under 6% for more than five years.

“I’m still having more lows at night than I’d like, but I’m working on it,” he said.

“Diabetes doesn’t stop me.”

Gary is also part of a local type 1 diabetes support group that meets monthly in Houston. 

“It’s wonderful to sit and talk with other people who get it,” he said. “And I’m not the only one still using injections — there are at least three of us.”

Gary has traveled to 43 countries and doesn’t let diabetes get in the way of his adventures. “Diabetes doesn’t stop me from traveling. You just have to plan ahead and be prepared.”

Gary’s story is a powerful reminder that misdiagnosis is still common in adults with type 1 diabetes—and that advocating for yourself can change your life.

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 but nothing seems to be working, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. It could save your life.